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(No Model.) Hl A. HOUSE. s sheets-Sheet 1.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 532,065. Patented Jan. 8, 1895.

3 'Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Jan. 8, 1895.

(No Model.) H, A. HOUSE.-

v ROTARY ENGINE.

(No Mofel.) H A 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented Jan. 8, 1895.

@Izzy/. me y My@ UNIrEDj STATES;

HENRY A. HOSE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF PATENTOFFICE.

TO ROBERT RINTOUL SYMON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,065, dated January8, 1 895.

, Application iiled April 16, 1894. Serial No. 507,629. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, HENRY A. HOUSE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RotaryE nfv gines, ot which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the drawings ac` companying and forming .a part of the same.|

The subject of my present application for patent is a new and improvedform of rotating engine adapted to be driven by steam, compressed air orthe like, and of the general class known as cyclo-motors.

The special objects of the improvements which' distinguish 'my inventionis to adapt such engines to marine propulsion, particul larly to therunning of high speed launches, torpedo boats and thev like whichrequire enginesof high efficiency, great power and speed insmallgcompass, andthe capability of ready and easy control andreversibility. The im-` provements which I have introduced in my enginehave been devised with these objects in view. l

These improvements consist in a means for reversing the direction ofrotation of the en-1 gine;in a novel and eective plan of compoundingrotary engines, and in special fea-` tures of construction which will bedescribed in detail below. Y* l The annexed drawings illustrate anengine to which my improvements are applied.

yss

Figure l is an end view and part section of the engine being on lineg/-g/ of Fig. 3, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic development of the engineillustrating the principle or mode of operation. Fig. 3 is a centrallongitudinal section on line z-e of Fig. 4. Fig. 4t is a verticalcross-section on line x--x of Fig. 3.

A is the shaft which has its bearings in trnnnions A of the enginecasing or frame which latter are journaled in supports A A and keyedthereto.

On the shaft A and keyed to the same is the rotary element of the motorconsisting of a casting B in the general form of a circular disk orwheel with peripheral steam pockets or any other similar and properprovision for rotation'under the action of steam or air pressuredirected through ports tangential or approximately so to the peripheryof the disk.

series of pockets D.

t The disk B is formed with a plurality of sets of steam pockets orvanes which bear to one anothera certain definite relation. The pocketsof one set, designated as C are formed inthe centralportion of greatestdiameter of y the disk Iby a series of teeth or projections on theperiphery thereof.

D similarly formed by teeth in portions of the disk of somewhat reduceddiameter but of greater width, and outside of these are other similarpockets E in portions of the disk of still greater width and smallerdiameter. The casing and vanes for this disk are so constructed that thesteam under high pressureis directed into the pockets O from which itexhausts into the pockets E and from thence into the air, so that thecapacity of the several series of pockets, and their peripheral speedwill be proportioned to the pressure of thesteam acting upon them.

The construction which I have devised for this purpose is asfollowsz-At-one or more points the pockets C are closed by passing undera block as O through which extend and open ports O O as nearly aspracticable tangentially to the disk and in opposite directions. Beyondthe edges of said blocks Oare openings F in webs F between which thecentral portion of the disk revolves, and through these the steam as itexpands in the annular .chamber O, passes into a second annular chamberG formed by thewebs F and webs G- which latter extend down below the Toreach the chamber G however, the steam must first pass through ports H Hin'blocks II, similar in construction and arrangement to thosepreviously described except that the area of thelports is greater and`through which the steam is directed into the pockets D. Beyond suchblocks H are the openings I in the webs G through which steam from thepocketsV D passes to and through ports K into pockets E and thence intoan annular chamber J formed by the webs G and the outer casing J of theengine. Beyond the ports K are the main exhaust ports K. Practically,there are v'thus formed three disks of unequal diameter each containingin its periphery teeth, vanes or pockets of an area or capacityproportioned to its diameter and corresponding annular Next to these onone, Y or preferably on both sides are other pockets chambers in whichthe said disks are inclosed,

communication between said chambers being through partitions or blockswhich close the pockets in the disk as they pass under them and whichcontain ports by means of which and openings in the partitions betweenthe annular chambers, the steam admitted to the first series of pocketsexhausts successively through the others.

The teeth or vanes which constitute the walls of the steam pockets areradial, and as the ports through which steam is directed into thepockets open in opposite directions the disk will rotate in onedirection or the other according to the ports through which steam isadmitted. I therefore provide with each pair of ports a controllingvalve or cock as M having a handle M and arranged to connect theentering port asvM with either of the ports as C. The stems of saidvalves or cocks are extended, when necessary, to bring their handlesinto convenient position to be operated, and all the handles are made topass through slots in, or to otherwise engage with a shell N mounted onthe trunnions A and capable of limited rotary movement so that byturning said shell all the cocks will be simultaneously turned in one orthe'other direction.

From the above description and by reference to Fig. 2 the operation oftheengine will` be readily understood. Steam under high pressure isadmitted through the ports determined by the position of the cocks, intothe pockets C. This sets the disk in rotation and the steam escapingfrom the pockets as they pass from under the blocks C, expands in thechamber O. The only passage for the steam from this chamber isthrough'the openings F F, ports H H and pockets D into chamber G andalthough it has expanded to greater volume the greater area of ports H,the increased capacity and slower speed of pockets D enable it to douseful work. In like manner the steam still further expanding in thechamber Gpasses through the ports K, which are of still greater area,into the pockets E, the capacity of which isl greater and the peripheralspeed lower than those of the pockets D and from thence the steamvpasses off through the exhaust.

I do not limit my invention to an engine with three sets of pockets orvanes as herein described, as l may employ either a less or a greaternumber. On the other hand I do not claim broadly the plan of compoundingengines herein set forth as I am aware that in:

rotary as well as other engines heretofore the steam at different-stagesof its expansion has been utilized; but

What I claim is- 1. The combination in a rotating engine with a rotaryelement or disk having two or more sets of pockets of dierent capacityand relative speed and ports of corresponding ca` pacity for each set ofpockets communicating with the exhaust of those of next smaller size andhigher speed, as set forth.

2. In a rotary engine the combination with a rotary disk having portionsof different di'- ameters, formed'or provided with peripheral pockets orvanes of a capacity or area inversely proportional to their distancesfrom the axis of the disk, of a casing forming separate chambers foreach set of pockets, and

ports for directing steam into the several sets said ports, andamovablep'a'rt towhich all of r said valves are connected whereby theymay be simultaneously operated, as set forth.

4. The combination 'with the rotary disk having portions of diviferentdiameters and widtlrfo'rmed or provided with peripheral steam pockets,the casing forming independent steam chambers for each series of steampockets, ports for admitting steam from a boiler to the outer andsmaller series of pockets, tangentially and in opposite directions,similar ports for admitting' the exhaust steam from one series ofpockets to that of next greater capacity, valves for controlling thepassage of steam throughl said ports, and means for simultaneouslyoperating all the valves as set forth.

5. The combination of the rotary disk provided with series of peripheralsteam pockets of different capacity the casing forming chambersn for theseveral series of pockets, ports for the admission of steam to theseveral series, cocks or/ valves for controlling said ports and theshell with limited rotary movement with which the handles of said cocksengage, as set forth.

6. .The combination with the disk having a central series of peripheralsteam pockets, and one or more series of similar pockets on oppositesides in portion of the disk of less diameter and greater width, acasing forming independent chambersffor the several series of pockets,connected inl series through ports of areas proportionedto the width orcapacity of Vtheir respective series of pockets, asl set forth.

HENRY HOUSE.

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